Looking for upcoming holiday events? The updated 2019 list is here! Are you trying to find winter and holiday activities and things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area? If you are in San Francisco with kids (or without!) and looking for holiday and winter activities – here are over 100 festive things to do! Chose a few or make this your family bucket list!

If you would like to stay up to date on events like this all year round, join our San Francisco Family Travel + Activities group! We have a weekly thread on all the special events in San Francisco! Some of the events in this post have not updated their 2019 dates/times yet, but we will be coming back to make updates periodically. 

Want to know more about things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area? Read more here:

Special Holiday Museum Exhibits in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcSZ0lrgqGt/?taken-by=handaguide

 

North Bay

South Bay

East Bay

Holiday Lighting Ceremonies in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbPegHrg34P/

East Bay

South Bay

North Bay

Holiday Tea Time in the San Francisco Bay Area

There are many more tea times than this in the San Francisco Bay Area, but these are kid-friendly!

San Francisco

South Bay

North Bay

East Bay

Holiday Markets in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco

North Bay

East Bay

While you’re out and about enjoying time with your loved ones this season, consider having a fun and festive photoshoot! Check out Emily Jenks Photography and send me a message. I’d love to help make this season even sweeter for you by capturing these special holiday moments. Mention this blog to receive a 10% discount!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrX6ml8g4m8/

Holiday Special Events and Festivals in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco

 

  • Cable Car Caroling – a 33-year-old tradition in San Francisco which is a multicultural event with Hispanic Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs with a great cause bringing holiday cheer to isolated older adults and adults with disabilities. (December 7th)
  • Holiday Party and Shopping Night at the Exploratorium is a member-only event where they will have festive activities and shopping night – hands-on tinkering, live music, and light installations! (Dec 5th)
  • Members-only holiday fun at the Cal Academy! Holiday Night at the Cal Academy of Science brings special treats to members. Last year, they had cookie decorating and the entire place open to just members!
  • Holiday Caroling Party at Little Mission Studio brings you performance by Little Mission Chorus and Little Mission Singers then caroling through the Mission at local restaurants, businesses, and few festively decorated houses. (December 10th)
  • SF Zoo Lights gives you a whole new look at the zoo with lights, snow, reindeer and Santa Claus! (Reindeer Romp starts Nov 17th – January 1st)
  • Enjoy a festive buffet, and visit from Santa at Holiday Open House at Haas-Lilienthal House (December 8).
  • Santa Paws is Coming to Town! Bring your doggie (or doggie loving kids) to Union Square for a chance to take pictures with Santa, mini-horse and LiLou the pig!

South Bay

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc2dwnIAB_g/

 

North Bay

East Bay

Sacramento

We know, Sacramento isn’t technically the Bay Area, but these events are just too good not to include on our list!

  • Theatre of Lights at Old Sacramento – watch Santa come to life where the historical district street turns into a theater! 20 min production of “Twas the Night Before Christmas”. (Nov 29-Dec 24)
  • Walk throughout this holiday festival and multi-cultural celebration with illuminated landscapes celebrating holidays around the world! Ice skating and a full carnival with rides and delicious international cuisine! Only at the Global Winter Wonderland at Sacramento Expo Center. (Nov 23 – Jan 6)
  • Tree Lighting Ceremony at Old Sacramento (Nov 27)

Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids

That look when you see Santa for the first time at Theatre of Lights

Holiday Train Rides in the San Francisco Bay Area

South Bay

  • Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train will have vintage excursion cars adorned with thousands of lights and sing carols, sip on hot spiced cider and visits from Santa! 
  • Ride the Roaring Camp’s daytime steam train to Bear Mountain, and go for a walk among decorated holiday trees while sipping on hot cider at the Roaring Camp Railroad Holiday Tree Walk!
  • Start with a menorah lighting at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and get on board a 1-hour train ride adorned with thousands of lights and Chanukah decorations on Chanukah Train at Roaring Camp Railroad, Santa Cruz.

North Bay

https://www.instagram.com/p/BclCosAAA41/

East Bay

Your local favorite train in the park will be all lit up for WinterFest at Tilden Park Steam Train. (TBD)

Ride the train at Oakland Zoo for a fun time at the zoo after dark at Oakland Zoo Lights! (December 6-31, 2019 | January 1-5, 2020)

Niles Canyon or Sunol – in Fremont you can ride an hour-long round-trip train through Niles Canyon Railway Train of Lights, filled with refreshments, music and cheer aboard train cars decorated with lights. (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the holiday season- except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day).

Sacramento

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc7xMBmgHyN/

Holiday Lights and Displays in the San Francisco Bay Area

Most of these will go up later in November or early in December if no specific dates are posted!

San Francisco

  • The Civic Center will have a Winter-Themed Park near City Hall! You can purchase tickets there, but might want to purchase them online just in case! (November 22, 2019-Jan 5, 2020)
  • Happier Holidays at Pier 39 – their 60 foot Christmas tree and swirling lights will be up! (November 26, 2019-Jan 5, 2020)
  • Warm your hearts with the SF SPCA & Macy’s Holiday Window Unveiling to see the adorable and adoptable animals! Celebrations with a special performance by the De Marillac Academy Choir and partnership with Snoopy will surely get your kids excited! (November 16th)
  • The Gingerbread House at the Fairmont is huge and impressive! There are signs that ask kids not to eat the house, but when we were there, I think every kid at least licked it or tried to pick a part of the house (Henry may or may not have been one of them…) You know what sounds amazing? They are starting a new service where you can rent the gingerbread house for private dining! (Opening November 30)
  • Rent out the Love Tour VW van for a Holiday Lights Tour – how much more San Francisco holidays can it get? (Nov 25-Dec 30)
  • A list of lights and displays of San Francisco won’t be complete without a mention of the Tom and Jerry’s House (3650 21st Street). It’s insane. So many things to look at – including a roller coaster set and the history of how this decoration started. A must for the holidays in San Francisco! (Santa makes an appearance too.)
  • Union Street Holiday Lights kicks off starting the Fantasy of Lights. Validated parking (yay), store open houses with refreshments and evening shopping and of course, holiday lights! The event will also have jugglers, live ponies dressed as reindeer, face painters, balloon artists, costumed characters, singers and live entertainment – Santa himself too. 
  • Upside Down Christmas Tree at Westfield is gorgeous and cannot be missed while you get your holiday shopping done. (Starts December 6)
  • Westin St. Francis Castle and Train is also our annual tradition. The castle is made out of sugar! (Nov 6-Jan 20)
  • Illuminate SF – 37 installations, 17 neighborhoods, 34 artists and 2 FREE light art tours.  Can you check off all 37 spots this year? 🙂

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcuvrLSgJN1/

 

South Bay

  • Parkway Estates Lights at 501 Woodside Ct. (off Chestnut) in South San Francisco- this area has some of the best holiday lights around! Nearly 100 residents light up their homes. It can get crowded so the best way to look at them is on foot.
  • You can walk or drive through the Fantasy of Lights in Los Gatos. Make sure to pre-purchase your tickets! (Dec 7&8 – Walkthrough, and Dec 10 – Dec30 drive through)
  • San Jose’s Christmas in the Park is a free community space filled with holiday cheer – like lots of decorated trees and holiday displays! (November 29-December 25)

North Bay

East Bay

Santa Encounters in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco

  • Go to the 7th floor of Macy’s Union Square to check out Santaland! 
  • Want to experience what it’s like to stay where Santa and Mrs. Claus stay when they are in town? Santa Suite at the Fairmont San Francisco is where you can experience all of what Santa does! Starting at $1599.00 per night. (Dec 1 – 29)
  • Probably our favorite place to get photos with Santa since it’s pretty low key and you can make reservations (pictures from the past 3 years lol)! Santa at Stonestown Mall. (Nov 10-Dec 24)

South Bay

North Bay

East Bay

Ice Skating in the San Francisco Bay Area

Most ice skating rinks open at the beginning of November, so these places are the earliest places to experience the “winter” activities!

San Francisco

  • Bay Area’s largest outdoor ice rink on a beautiful city setting, easily accessible before or after you hit up the shops at the Ferry Building at Embarcadero Center Holiday Ice Rink! (Nov 6)
  • Regain a little romance skating under the most famous tree in San Francisco (you can do it, even with kids) at the Union Square Ice Skating Rink. (Opening Nov 6th)
  • For the first year ever (2019), City Hall will have an ice skating rink! (Open Nov 30-Jan 6th)

South Bay

  • Downtown on Ice in San Jose is supported by Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation and you can skate among gorgeously lit palm trees.
  • San Mateo on Ice is “Bay Area’s Largest Outdoor Skating” (similar to the Embarcadero Center tagline :)) open to all ages!
  • Winter Lodge in Palo Alto is a “family tradition since 1956“ check their schedule for “open” or “family” sessions for when you can go with kids all ages!

North Bay

East Bay

  • The name gives you a hint on the size of the rink, The Little Ice Rink in Alameda has “Bobby” the seal skating aid which helps you balance if you aren’t comfortable on the ice.
  • Walnut Creek on Ice has gliders to rent for your little ones who can’t quite balance on their own.

Holiday Shows in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdAwi3eAR-k/

 

  • A Charlie Brown Christmas at the SF Symphony was a hit with our 2.5-year-old, Henry! We didn’t expect to stay the entire show, but he did! (Having 2 Charlie Brown cookies may have had something to do with it…) Read our in-depth guide to this show so you know what to expect. (TBD)
  • The Nutcracker. This is the normal “adult” version by the SF Ballet, but it’s one of the more kid-friendly ballets out there! They even have a family viewing area!! (They do recommend that kids be at least 5 to attend this event.)
  • San Francisco’s Youth Ballet’s The Nutcracker. This is super kid-friendly. Henry went when he was about 18 months old. Yes, we stepped out a lot, but there was plenty of space to roam around outside and no one was bothered! (Dec 7-8)
  • Dance-Along Nutcracker: Nutcrackers in Space is at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. This is on our list to check out this year! (December 7-8)
  • This ballet production is usually more adult-oriented, but kids who can be entertained for about 2 hours may love The Christmas Ballet by Sumin. They usually have multiple locations throughout the bay area all season long! (Various locations in the Bay Area in Nov and Dec)

South Bay

North Bay

East Bay

Cut-Your-Own-Tree Farms in the San Francisco Bay Area

South Bay

  • Santa’s Tree Farm has a cute little Santa Village to check out before or after you cut your own tree!
  • Lemos Farm is a hit in our household all fall and winter long. Cut your own trees! This place is just cool with train rides through the Christmas Tree field with holiday decorations all around. Also available are a petting zoo and pony rides! Open on the weekends.

North Bay

  • Grandma Buddy’s Christmas Trees in Sebastopol has over 10,000 trees to choose from. This farm includes a Victorian farmhouse, a barn, and a creek with bridges with miniature Christmas village.
  • Frosty Mountain Tree Farm in Sebastopol has a tractor hayride, and picnic areas to fuel you up after some hard sawing. They also have an old red barn with Santa’s Workshop and Mrs. Klaus’ Kitchen with farm animals!

East Bay

Christmas in San Francisco is a magical time. I love to capture the pure joy on kids’ faces when they get to spend time with their families doing fun and festive activities. If you are in the area and would love to have these moments photographed to keep forever, then check out Emily Jenks Photography! Mention this post to receive a 10% discount too!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Brp8HRJlWkq/

New Year’s Events in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco

  • Ring in the New Year by taking a swing at a giant 2,100 pound 16th century Japanese temple bell at the Asian Art Museum on New Year’s Eve! First come, first served.
  • Polar Bear Skate at the Union Square Ice Rink! Wear your favorite bathing suit and go ice skatin! 🙂

South Bay

North Bay

East Bay

Chinese/Lunar New Year’s Events in the San Francisco Bay Area

Many of these events are still being updated/added to calendars. Check back later for more info!

San Francisco

South Bay

North Bay

  • An action-packed day at the Bay Area Discovery Museum including martial arts demonstration, lion dance, make-your-own sweet wontons, Chinese games and activities, a Lion Dance Costume petting zoo, and so much more!

East Bay

 

Rainy Day Activities in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco’s winter months are usually during our rainy season too (unless we are going through a drought). There are way too many fun rainy day activities (e.g. indoor places) to list here, so check out this list if you are visiting/in SF during the rainy season!

 

Love to know about events and activities in San Francisco? Join our Facebook Group Here where we have weekly events updates!

There you have it!

This should keep you busy this winter. 🙂 Have you done any of these? Did we miss anything? Let us know what you think!

Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids - 102 Fam-Tastic List

Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids by Henry and Andrew’s Guide. Calendar of all the holiday activities in the San Francisco Bay Area!

102 Famtastic Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids | Henry and Andrew’s Guide | San Francisco with Kids

Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids by Henry and Andrew’s Guide. Calendar of all the holiday activities in the San Francisco Bay Area!

Want to know more about things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area? Read more here:

 

102 Famtastic Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids | Henry and Andrew’s Guide | San Francisco with Kids

Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids by Henry and Andrew’s Guide. Calendar of all the holiday activities in the San Francisco Bay Area!

Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids - 102 Fam-Tastic List

Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids by Henry and Andrew’s Guide. Calendar of all the holiday activities in the San Francisco Bay Area!

 

Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids - 102 Fam-Tastic List

Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids by Henry and Andrew’s Guide. Calendar of all the holiday activities in the San Francisco Bay Area!

Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids by Henry and Andrew's Guide. Calendar of all the holiday activities in the San Francisco Bay Area!

Winter Holiday Activities in San Francisco Bay Area with Kids by Henry and Andrew’s Guide. Calendar of all the holiday activities in the San Francisco Bay Area!